What is the absolute sharpest sub-L prime?

In your opinion, which prime (below the L-class) is the sharpest for portraits (not worrying about room needed....mostly for outdoor portraits under natural, indirect light with a solid-color background?

It would be for an APS-C sensor, of course, but I don't know if that matters in terms of sharpness.

Thanks for any opinions.

EF 100 f/2.8 Macro USM

For portrait I assume you mean wide open.

Canon 100 f2.0, Samyang 85 f1.4
Canon 85 1.8 is similar

All of Canon's 100mm non-L lenses are very sharp and well suited for portraiture:
EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
EF 100mm f/2 USM

The 100mm f/2 is extremely good and much smaller than the macro lenses.

I agree that the EF-S 60mm Macro is might be the sharpest lens of all but it might not let you get back far enough from your subjects. Personally, I find most people look best from about 15 feet so I would choose a focal length that would frame the composition from that distance. The differences in sharpness are generally lesser concerns. All of the Canon primes are pretty good.

I haven't tried a 100 but the efs 60 2.8 macro is amazing.

I can vouch for the 100 macro non-L and the 85 1.8.
The new 40 is fabulous and does fine for looser portraits.

Fred Meebley wrote in post #14760072
I haven't tried a 100 but the efs 60 2.8 macro is amazing.

I have tried the 100mm macro (both versions) and they are amazing, but the above mentioned 60mm 2.8 is sharper. I have 6 L lenses and the only one equal in sharpness to the 60mm is the 135mm f2.

do you really need the sharpest lens available for portraits?...i mean there are so many other criteria to figure out before going to sharpness in my opinion...

The 85 f/1.8 is amazingly sharp. I think it's sharper than my 35L

My 85mm 1.8 is amazing. Too bad I don't use it much since it front focuses slightly wide open. at F4 it's omfg sharp

It's got to be the EF-S 60 Macro. Sharper than both 100mm EF macro lenses.

EF-S 60mm macro is the sharpest, but I prefer the 85 1.8 for portraits. I also own and love the 100mm macro, but this is a bit long for portraits on a crop sensor.

I love my 85/1.8!

Canon makes a boat load of really good lenses. I have several that are really good. Keep in mind that there is a lot more to a good photograph than inherent lens sharpness.
1.) 85 1.8
2.) 100 f/2.8
3.) 50 1.8 II
4.) 28 2.8, just got this - amazing wide open.
5.) 24 2.8, sold it - soft until 4+, excellent at 5.6
These are in no particular order, and by no means an exhaustive list.

For sharpness, I would go with the 100mm f/2.8 Macro.